Retrofit Success Stories: Building skills and careers through social housing retrofit in Manchester
Introduction
This Retrofit Success Stories case study showcases Billy’s experience working at Casey, supporting One Manchester who received £550,000 - as part of Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) £37m consortium bid - under the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 2.1. Billy’s account explores his personal motivations for working in the sector, and his specific contributions to Hamilton Lodge Works project in Rusholme. He also offers some advice to young people getting into the industry.
Published: Janaury 2026
Contents
Retrofit Success Stories: Building skills and careers through social housing retrofit in Manchester
Billy Adrian is a Trainee Assistant Site Manager at Casey working on the Hamilton Lodge SHDF Wave 2.1 project and has been with the company for about 6 months (as of August 2025). Billy's responsibilities include assisting in managing the day-to- day operation of the site and acting as Resident Liaison Officer for Hamilton Lodge. This involves putting in ground source heating works, fitting windows, and installing radiators and cylinders, and keeping residents informed and engaged about the retrofit works taking place.
This series aims to explore the individual stories and experiences of successful retrofit projects from the perspective of key suppliers. This covers a range of themes from technology use through renewable energy and low carbon heating to the career progression and skill development that projects are enabling.